Surface treated picture



Patented Aug. 10, 1948 SURFACE TREATED PICTURE Paul C. Goetz, Mount Holly, N. J., assignor of one-half to Carlos Cudell Goetz, New York,

No Drawing. Application July 13, 1944, Serial No. 544,830

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates generall to a composition for treatment of pictorial representations on different types of media to induce freshness, enhance clarity, depth and beauty-and to preserve these effects,

It has been customary in the past to treat paintings and other types of pictorial representations for protection against moisture and for improving vibratory effects to the various tints, colors or shades by the application of varnish as conventionally prepared from copal, dammar, mastic and other natural gums. However, varnish has certain adverse qualities such as streaking and causing surface glare when applied for these purposes. In addition the varnishes with time become dim and crank because of the brittleness thereof. In the removal of dull and cracked varnish injury to the pictorial representation especially paintings usually results,

Mineral waxes, paraflins and Vaseline oil have been used as a substitute for varnishes in an effort to overcome the shortcomings thereof. Mineral waxes and paraffin have also proved to be brittle while Vaseline oils, although giving an excellent effect especially to oil paintings because of penetration of the cracks, are non-drying oils. Vaseline therefore is impractical because dirt is collected and held with tenacity. It is difiicult to remove the dirt from the Vaseline and to remove Vaseline itself by use of solvents is also difficult.

Applicant has found that the revivification effect of Vaseline oil and the enduring quality of varnishes may be combined by the application of one or more of the higher aliphatic alcohols in suspension, emulsion or solution form to the face of pictorial representations, By the expression pictorial representations are included paintings on paper, cloth and wood, prints, photographic copies, pencil sketches and painted wood carv ings; and in addition the term particularly includes photographic negatives wherein the composition has utility for repairing scratches in the gelatin.

As examples of the higher alcohols, which may contain up to three hydroxylic groups, may be mentioned cetyl alcohol, octadecanol, myricyl alcohol, octadecandiol and octadecantriol. These alcohols are applied preferably in the form of a mixture of at least two alcohols in the form of a liquid and are then permitted to dry whereby the alcohols are distributed and smoothed by polishme. It has been found that better results are obtained when two of the above mentioned higher alcohols are mixed together because of increased powers of adherence to the material treated. Un-

der the influence of one or more of these alcohols, cracks in the painting or picture surface become less noticeable and tend to disappear, the picture surface losing all dullness and acquiring new life and depth of perspective.

Ihe beneficial effect of the higher aliphatic alcohols and the adverse effect of the natural gums forming the ingredients of the varnishes seem to bear a direct relationship with the low refractive indices of the former and the high refractive indices of the latter. Illustrative values for refractive indices are as follows:

Thus, where a picture is provided with a protective layer or covering on the surface by a transparent material possessing a high refractive index, light falling sideways and hitting the surface at a low angle will be reflected. With light falling from all sides and at all angles on the surface and with a condition of unevenness of the surface which is invariably incidental to that of an oil painting, light will be reflected in all directions giving rise to gloss or glare. This gloss or glare is always a concomitant of varnished pictures or pictures framed in glass.

Conversely, a beautiful effect is obtained on a picture old, dull and cracked when the surface is covered with a thin layer Of turpentine or even water. Under such circumstances the cracks disappear, the surface becomes vitalized and colors ordinarily hidden reappear. The reason for this phenomenon is that turpentine has substantially the same refractive index as linseed oil and water and when the cracks are filled therewith there is hardly any reflection of light within. The lower refractive index also reduces surface glare. However these effects are only temporary since turpentin and water rapidly vaporize.

B reference to the tabulation of the refractive indices of some of the higher alcohols it is seen that these alcohols are within and even below the range of the refractive index of turpentine and it has been found that a mixture of two or more of these alcohols gives a better result than the use of one. A possible explanation for this improved eifect is that a mixture of the alcohols has better adherence to the painting face or surface than the use of one of the alcohols.

Advantages of the composition of the invention herein may be set forth as follows:

(a) The alcohols are in a pure state and colorless even when in suspension, emulsion or solu tion form as distinguished from the coloring of varnishes and most waxes.

(b) The composition of the alcohols does not change by exposure to atmospheric conditions such as moisture and oxygen and the alcohols do not polymerize.

(c) The alcohols are chemically neutral and do not react with the pigments of paints and other surface materials because of chemical inertness.

(d) Most of the higher alcohols are solids'having varying degrees of hardness and melting points up to 200 F. By proper blending of these alcohols one may obtain a wide variety of degrees of hardness and of melting points according to requirements.

The higher alcohols are insoluble in water but may be emulsified by standard emulsifiers. They are easily soluble in grain alcohol and ether and also in hot turpentine while they are partially soluble in cold turpentine. As has been before mentioned the alcohols may be in the form of suspensions, emulsions or solutions and are applied to the surface of the pictures by spraying, brushing or soft rubbing. After application and following evaporation of the solvent the surface is polished to get a better distribution and to break up crystal formation as will more fully appear in the following examples of practice:

Example #1.-18 grams of octadecanol were emulsified in a solution of 2 grams of triethanolamine oleate in 800 milliliters of water. The .emulsification was effected by stirring under heat until uniform dispersion took place after which the composition was permitted to cool during stirring. A stiff paste resulted which was applied and distributed by hand in a thin layer on the surface of an oil painting. After evaporation of the water and the emulsifying agent the surface was well rubbed with a soft cloth until a uniform soft shine had been obtained.

Example #2.50 grams of cetyl alcohol were dissolved by heating in 500 milliliters of xylene and the solution was then permitted to cool. Thereafter the solution was poured and distributed in a thin layer over photographic copies. After the xylene had evaporated the copies were then ironed with a hot laundry iron or heated in an air chamber to 150 F. to melt the cetyl alcohol. Following this melting and after cooling the surface was rubbed with a fur glove to give it the proper shine.

Example #3.62 grams of octadecanol, 32 grams of cetyl alcohol and 5 grams of paraflin were dissolved by heating in one liter of rectified turpentine and then permitted to cool. On cooling beyond a certain point crystal flakes were precipitated which on further heating dissolved again. The cold composition was then submitted to a mechanical emulsifier which broke the crystals up and the composition was then applied to pictures as described above. The addition of paraffin caused the surface to be slightly tacky even after drying. The use of parafiin may be embodied in the composition where it is dsired that the surface treatment have a tacky e ect.

Example #4.40 grams of octadecanol and 30 grams of cetyl alcohol were dissolved by heating in 150 milliliters of rectified oil of turpentine and then the further steps of Example #3 were followed. This composition dried fairly rapidly to a hard, water-repellent surface, which after rubbing presented an agreeable luster and showed little inclination to absorb dust.

Example #5.- grams of octadecanediol and grams of cetyl alcohol were dissolved in 750 milliliters of rectified oil of turpentine and thereafter steps of Example #3 were followed. The composition was applied to a previously varnished picture which showed pronounced varnish streaks. After drying and. rubbing with a cloth brush the varnish streaks disappeared.

Example #6.--Fine1y Powdered octadecanol and cetosten (cetyl alcohol) of equal weights were mixed together and sprinkled on a photographic copy in a very thin layer. The copy was then ironed with a laundry iron and permitted to cool. Thereafter the surface was rubbed with a soft cloth.

As a result of the application of the compositions to surfaces as set forth in the above examples the following advantageous properties were observed:

(a) The liquids did not remove retouching colors from photographs although they removed retouching pencil marks. The liquids can therefore be applied over photographic copies retouched with colors. The treated photograph pictures will take retouching colors and pencil marks on the treated surface.

(17) There was no difiiculty in applying several coats, one above the other.

(0) The coats proved highly repellent to water and showed no signs of weakening under the influence of water.

((1) The coats showed no signs of aging or weakening or any change whatever within a protracted period.

(c) Coatings proved easy to remove in case the necessity arose. Removal was accomplished by wetting the surface with turpentine and then rubbing it off with cloth. Removal was also accomplished by wetting the picture with grain alcohol and draining the grain alcohol oil? after a few minutes. The cleaned picture could after a proper drying time be treated again with the same composition.

This easy removal of the surface coating contrasted with the difliculty of removing old varnish is a feature.

It is understood that the expression picture wherever used embraces painting on paper, cloth and wood, frescoes, prints, photographic copies, pencil sketches and wood carvings especially if artistic and painted. The application of the same liquids to photographic negatives also produces beneficial results.

It has been found that anyone, but preferably a mixture of at least two higher aliphatic alcohols each having in excess of 14 carbon atoms in its molecule and up to three hydroxyl groups can be applied to a picture surface while in molten condition. The area of distribution quickly solidified the molten layer after which rubbing took place to effectuate the results heretofore mentioned.

I claim:

1. In combination, a surface comprising a pictorial representation and a colorless, transparent, nonglaring, uniform and inert coating for said surface to preserve said representation against atmospheric conditions and to improve the clarity thereof, said coating consisting of a member selected from the group consisting of cetyl alcohol, octadecanol and mixtures of cetyl alcohol and octadecanol.

2. In combination, a surface comprising a pictorial representation formed from pigments and pigmented photographic emulsions, and a colorless, transparent, nonglaring, uniform and inert coating for said surface to preserve said representation against atmospheric conditions and to improve the clarity thereof, said coating consisting of cetyl alcohol.

3. In combination, a surface including a pictorial representation formed from pigments or pigmented photographic emulsions, a varnish coating thereon and a colorless, transparent, nonglaring, uniform and inert coating for the said varnish coating to preserve said representation against atmospheric conditions and to improve the clarity thereof, said second mentioned coating consisting of cetyl alcohol.

PAUL C. GOETZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 152,717 Wogram June 30, 1874 1,974,854 Schrauth Sept. 25, 1934 2,086,428 Mock July 6, 1937 2,296,972 Alkire et al Sept. 29, 1942 2,324,671 Bernstein July 20, 1943 2,344,671 Bertsch Mar. 21, 1944 

